Blaze King Ashford 30 owners

[lsucet]

It is ok I will leave it at that I am not going to be the reason of a closed thread.

 

[WES999]

Can I cook on the Ashford if the power goes out?

Not unless you remove the cast iron top, the top runs at about half the temp of the steel underneath it. The outside cast iron jacket
really does not get all that hot.

I have the 20, been using it for a bit over one season, it has done a great job heating my 1100 sf ranch.
Much longer burn time than the Regency F1100 it replaced.

 

[Poindexter]

Price, quality, service, pick any two.

My A30 was more expensive than most of the automobiles i have owned. Mine is a well built, high quality, trouble free product.

Fwiw mine will burn fuel at 20%MC, but the real sweet spot for my install is 12-16%. I built a solar powered wood kiln to get my fuel that dry dependably. The year i was over zealous and had 8 cords at 8% BK was right there with me figuring out how to heat my home without hurting the stove.

I have operated dozens of pre epa wood stoves, one epa cert non cat, and have three seasons on my A30. I am not likely to buy a woodstove from anyone but BK for the rest of my life.

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

I have two Ashford 30’s, and I can’t say enough good things about them. There is really no other brand I’d even consider, if buying another stove, today.

BKVP has acknowledged there have been a very small pool of users with a smoke smell issue. The total count was less than a dozen, out of many thousands of stoves sold. I believe by last count, all but two of these cases have been resolved. There was no single smoking gun, each situation and solution was unique. What’s important is that BK supported these users, and resolved their issue, in at least one case sending out a new stove. You should read the thread, and satisfy yourself, but it appeared BK went above and beyond to make sure every one of these few cases gets resolved. Admirable.

On stove performance, BK is a Ferrari in a world of Camrys. No other stove can match their range of burn rate. Heck, most can’t even cover a third of their range of burn rates.

Their thermostat is the shiznit, increasing air as the fire wanes, to maintain more constant output throughout the burn. They’re so rote and automatic, some accuse them of being boring.

I load my stoves on a schedule that suits me, namely every 12, 24, or 36 hours, and just set the thermostat to the setting that will consistently nail those burn times. It is very consistent, in all weather conditions. I’m no longer slave to feeding two stoves on the schedule they demand, like I was with my Jotuls. Find me another 2.65 cu ft stove that can burn 30+ hours, and I’m all ears, but I don’t think it exists.

I’d not even consider buying a non-cat, when there’s better tech out there, but some like dickering with inferior technology. To each his own. We see a lot of folks here switching from non cat to modern cat stoves, but very rarely the other way around.

The only issue I’ve ever experienced with my Ashford 30’s, having about 60 cords thru the pair, was self-inflicted. I have one installed on a chimney that exceeds their max draft spec by more than 3x (it’s a very, very tall fully-insulated chimney), and this causes so much turbulence of ash flying around in the stove that it would occasionally plug the combustor on very high burn rates. This seems to have been resolved by installing a key damper to throttle the draft down closer to the BK spec, and I believe I’d have issues running ANY stove in this pipe. I’d not even think of running a runaway non-cat on a chimney like this, it’d likely become a puddle of molten iron on my floor.

You mention Woodstock, and almost all of the same can be said about them. Another great company, with great technology, who stands behind their users. I can’t say anything bad about Woodstock, except I don’t think their stoves are very attractive, and soapstone would never work in my (unique) house.

I would never buy a Jotul again. They flat-out refuse to speak with or support their users. I don’t have any desire to deal with a company like that. They also only make non-cats.

The most valuable part of this post, for my money, is regarding the Jotul customer service (I think most of us already know BK is sending you checks every time you give them a shout out at this point ;-) ). I find such information personally valuable, and hopefully, someone from Jotul is listening and they get with the program here in the 21st century. About the customer service model.

In the event that someone wants to comment on the limited viewership of this lovely chatroom, I suggest you do some google searches about stove brands, and also notice how many non-members visit the site.

Just so I stay out of trouble, the little winky face means that I am not really suggesting that Ashful is on BKs payroll. I think he just really likes those stoves, and his expensive experiment with Jotul left him open to a superior service model and product that works great for him.

 

[Newburnerwisconsin]

It is ok I will leave it at that I am not going to be the reason of a closed thread.

What do you think? Would the Ashford heat this home in single digit and below zero (f) weather? House is approx 2000 sq. ft.. We don't use the entire basement during the winter. Thanks for your time.

 

[Poindexter]

@Newburnerwisconsin , air sealing, insulation thickness and # kids at home all matter.

Certainly an A30 is in the running. One of my boys loves standing at the front door with the main door open, watching the world through the storm door. Has ever since he was tall enough to reach the doorknob. Once he started paying his own utility bills he moved to california pretty quick.

The sqft ratings, near as i can tell are based on a home with perfect air seals, no kids, an adult that opens the door once in the am to leave for work, and once in the pm after work, and that model home of their's has some kinda high R value windows that cost 5 figures each.

I think you'll do better looking at how much energy you are using for heat, convert that to cords of wood and then find a firebox big enough to burn that many cords in however long your burn season is.

 

[lsucet]

That will be hard to say. Lots of variables. Remember I have the princess and is almost the same firebox for what I understand. Everything depend your floor plans and heat distribution. What work for some don't work for others. I think at this point and sometimes is all about trial and errors. I am sure someone with the same stove a similar situation will give you better input.

 

[Newburnerwisconsin]

@Newburnerwisconsin , air sealing, insulation thickness and # kids at home all matter.

Certainly an A30 is in the running. One of my boys loves standing at the front door with the main door open, watching the world through the storm door. Has ever since he was tall enough to reach the doorknob. Once he started paying his own utility bills he moved to california pretty quick.

The sqft ratings, near as i can tell are based on a home with perfect air seals, no kids, an adult that opens the door once in the am to leave for work, and once in the pm after work, and that model home of their's has some kinda high R value windows that cost 5 figures each.

I think you'll do better looking at how much energy you are using for heat, convert that to cords of wood and then find a firebox big enough to burn that many cords in however long your burn season is.

The Ashford firebox is 2.75 sq. ft. I just want to make sure that I am buying a stove that is big enough. I live I. central Wisconsin. It gets plenty cold here.

 

[Poindexter]

Do you have a handle on your degree loss per hour curve?

I lose a fraction of a F degree per hour with all the heat sources turned off down to ~+25dF. I start losing an actual 1dF per hour right around -20dF. Below about -35dF i start losing real BTUs real fast. At -45dF i am losing 4-5 degrees per hour out of the 1200sqft i am heating with my ashford and that is where i start getting behind.

Have you ever had an air door test done on your house?

I think, ass/u/me ing an average home, the A30 or similar will do a fine job supplementing your primary heat source on the upper level. Heating the home pictured earlier from the lower level with a single wood burner is going to involve many compromises that "most" (average) wives will not tolerate with serenity.

 

[shoot-straight]

I bought one when they first came out. Like every stove it takes time to learn the ropes.

Facts-

It's very nice to look at from the front.

It can give you a nice flame show if you want. Just turn the stat up.

I have have had the smoke smell when burning really low I get an "explosion" of flames when gases light off. It's not
Noticeable unless you literally go up and sniff. I think it comes out the cat probe hole. Not much can be done w that.

BK's customer service is second to none. I have never had such service with any other product. There should be no fear in buying their product.

Mark8 is a troll and belongs on everyone's ignore list

My ashford heats my home better than my previous hearthstone and uses less wood. I know You are looking at other 3cf stoves, it should be able to do anything they can do.

There are both cheerleaders and haters on this site of all manufacturers.

Final word-

Is the ashford right for you? For 2000sq that far north I would say only if your house is super well insulated and air sealed. That said I dont think any 3' stove could do it in that wasn't the case. Just keeping it real. There are times here where mine can't keep up here in MD- but that's with temps below the teens with lots of wind. Most importantly, my 2000sq house has huge areas with vaulted ceilings, poor insulation and is terribly air sealed. One note- that's with me still getting 8 hr burns. You will not get 8 hour burns from many other stoves when on their highest output.

Good luck on whatever you decide.

 

[lsucet]

when burning really low I get an "explosion" of flames when gases light off.

Hi. I have a question, how tall is your chimney?

 

[Ashful]

Ashful I've certainly enjoyed reading your thoughtful contrubtions to various threads but there is some serious nonsense here. "BK is the Ferrari" and "some like dikering with inferior technolgy". It's all relative to individual applications and your individual goals....too presume otherwise is simply ridiculous. Sure Ferrari makes a great sports that goes fast but it wouldnt make it more than 20ft down our camp road so is of no use to me.

No doubt BK makes a great product....it's been well documented here.

You are right, and all analogies fall short, when really analyzed. I should refrain from them, but they're too fun. Bottom line, the BK can be run all day long on the highest t'stat setting, with no concern of run-away. The same stove can be turned way down to a burn time 3x that of just about any other comparably-sized stove. That was the basis of my analogy, however poor it may have been.

Thank you and Ashful for your replies. I am very excited to see the Ashford burn. I have a duratech class a stainless chimney. There is one 45 degree elbow as the chimney would hit a roof joint. Do you think that would effect the Ashford in any way? With the thermostat? I am hopeful not as the Ashford looks like a great choice at this time.My current stove does not have any problems. So hopefully that would not effect the Ashford either.

BK puts their draft spec's in the manual. Basically, 0.06" WC maximum, for the Ashford 30. I'm no expert on this, but I believe BKVP posted that this is common to most stoves, as dictated by the EPA.

I found that my 30 feet of straight insulated pipe hits 0.18" WC on mild days, likely higher on cold days. It worked just fine that way for three years, but I did have the aforementioned cat cloggage issues on extended high burns. I have also found that my 15 feet of pipe on my second Ashford 30 has more than enough draft to dial down for daily 24-hour burns in all weather. That's a 2:1 difference in chimney height, in the same house, and it works fine on both. This stove does not appear to be overly draft-sensitive.

You don't say how tall your chimney is, but I'd be surprised if a single 45 elbow is going to be an issue. I have two 45's on my 30 foot pipe.

Great review. Thank you. I spoke with a dealer yesterday and they have a Ashford on the showroom floor. They use it as a show model so it is broke in. Can I cook on the Ashford if the power goes out?

'
I'd not want to use it as daily cooker, as you'd have to lift off the convection top. It's light enough, and lifts right off with no tools required, but I'm guessing it violates your clearance to combustibles requirement, to burn it with the top removed.

Thanks. That's awesome. Yes I have three feet easy so that won't be a problem. BK has a major advantage right now. I can't install the stove myself. Insurance company says it has to be done by a dealer. Can I burn wood at 20 or 22% moisture? Will that hurt the stove? Most of my oak is around 20% seasoned two years.

I'm burning some wet wood, now. It's part of an effort to move about 6 cords of 2 year oak out of my way, for another project. It runs just fine, but start-up time is much longer with wet wood. Basically, you spend longer in bypass mode, baking out the moisture, before engaging the combustor. Chimney cleaning frequency may be increased, as you're putting a lot of creo up the chimney during that initial bake-out, before engaging the combustor.

The thread that was posted is by someone who has owned two Blaze king Ashford 30!

Meh. I own two Ashford 30's, too. Some folks are going to have trouble with any stove you give them.

What do you think? Would the Ashford heat this home in single digit and below zero (f) weather? House is approx 2000 sq. ft.. We don't use the entire basement during the winter. Thanks for your time.

No idea on your heating needs, but here are a few pieces of generic advice:

1. The BK system has a wider range than any other stove on the market. Go big, dial it down, no issues. When you need more heat, just turn it up. It can run at any thermostat setting, no concern of run-away.

2. Sizing a stove to 80% of your heating needs will still put a heck of a dent in your heating bill, even if you need to fire up the furnace on those few coldest days of the year.

3. You're not marrying this stove. If you think it has a shot at working, give it a try. If you find it's not ideal, or if something better comes along, you can Craigslist it for $400 less than you bought it new and swap to a new stove. It's really not that big of a deal!

 

[sutphenj]

You are right, and all analogies fall short, when really analyzed. I should refrain from them, but they're too fun. Bottom line, the BK can be run all day long on the highest t'stat setting, with no concern of run-away. The same stove can be turned way down to a burn time 3x that of just about any other comparably-sized stove. That was the basis of my analogy, however poor it may have been.

No worries. I see what you are getting at now....makes sense. Appreciate the clarification.

 

[AlbergSteve]

I haven't burned in the Ashford yet, but I like the overall execution of this stove. The castings are nice and it has a good latching assembly and from later reports an improved ash collection system. My only caveat is that we use the stove top almost daily for heating water for coffee and tea and occasionally for slow cooking and bread rising. The Ashford has a convection top. You can lift off this top, but for us that would mean leaving the top off most of the time in order to set the kettle on the hot cooktop.

That's what I miss about the Ashford. We would occasionally cook a whole roast dinner in one cast iron pot on top of the Regency. There's something quite primal about cooking on wood heat.

 

[begreen]

It's one of the things I really like about the Alderlea. The swing away trivet tops allow a huge range of cooking temperature at ease. I don't think my wife would lift the Ashford top off. It's pretty heavy. We'd have to leave it off all the time which is not the best solution for the way we use a stove. That said, it's a good looking and well made stove. Had they kept the blue-black enamel I might have been tempted to try one out.

 

[AlbergSteve]

It's one of the things I really like about the Alderlea. The swing away trivet tops allow a huge range of cooking temperature at ease. I don't think my wife would lift the Ashford top off. It's pretty heavy. We'd have to leave it off all the time which is not the best solution for the way we use a stove. That said, it's a good looking and well made stove. Had they kept the blue-black enamel I might have been tempted to try one out.

We loved the look of the T6. Bought one. Dealer said he'd call in a few days for pickup. Called on the dealer a few weeks later asking if the stove was ready, said it was back ordered. Called PE while I was there and they said " we have no idea when we'll have one ready to ship''. He refunded my money and that's how we ended up with the Ashford. Called four other dealers on the Island and nobody had one in stock. Really wanted to support a local business(we live about 8 minutes from their shop) but sounds like they were having production issues - they've been advertising for staff for a while.

 

[Pertzbro]

If i was buying a cat-stove it would be def. a BK Ashford. I however dont burn full time for primary heat. Only for ambiance, fun. Obviously i love the heat wood puts off but just dont have the right set up to be 24/7 burner all winter. For those reasons i love non-cat stoves. It fits the bill nicely with the flame show.

 

[begreen]

There are lots of pros and cons. Some of them have less to do with the engineering and more to how the stove is used, how it looks, clearances, etc.. That's why it's great to have a wide array of choices.

 

[Newburnerwisconsin]

It's one of the things I really like about the Alderlea. The swing away trivet tops allow a huge range of cooking temperature at ease. I don't think my wife would lift the Ashford top off. It's pretty heavy. We'd have to leave it off all the time which is not the best solution for the way we use a stove. That said, it's a good looking and well made stove. Had they kept the blue-black enamel I might have been tempted to try one out.

I like your T6 to Begreen. Unfortunately my wife does not like the Alderleas.

 

[Newburnerwisconsin]

It's one of the things I really like about the Alderlea. The swing away trivet tops allow a huge range of cooking temperature at ease. I don't think my wife would lift the Ashford top off. It's pretty heavy. We'd have to leave it off all the time which is not the best solution for the way we use a stove. That said, it's a good looking and well made stove. Had they kept the blue-black enamel I might have been tempted to try one out.

I really like the f55. I may be happy with that 8 or 10 hour cycle. Some of the cat guys here have said that they don't save that much wood in cold weather. I suppose the cat stoves really shine during the shoulder seasons. I really like the Ashford as well. I guess I will just to go look at both. They are at the same dealer.

 

[begreen]

Yes, they're both quality stoves. You wouldn't go wrong with either one. If the Ashford had come out in production with the blue-black enamel and a more convenient cooktop I might have ended up trying one out. I was tempted after seeing it in that finish at the HPBA show.

 

[sutphenj]

I really like the f55. I may be happy with that 8 or 10 hour cycle. Some of the cat guys here have said that they don't save that much wood in cold weather. I suppose the cat stoves really shine during the shoulder seasons. I really like the Ashford as well. I guess I will just to go look at both. They are at the same dealer.

I purposely seeked out the f55 due only to simplicity in design and operation...along with stout construction. It should last many many years heating my home just like it should. My idea in my head for some reason or another of a woodstove is something that requires no power and consumable parts....and only requires me walking out of my backdoor to harvest the fuel. That said the more i learn about cat stoves the more intrigued i am. Lots of folks on here are very happy with their cat stoves and they have been doing this much longer than I. Wouldnt mind trying out a woodstock IS (rear exit only so no BK option in my application).

 

[Newburnerwisconsin]

I purposely seeked out the f55 due only to simplicity in design and operation...along with stout construction. It should last many many years heating my home just like it should. My idea in my head for some reason or another of a woodstove is something that requires no power and consumable parts....and only requires me walking out of my backdoor to harvest the fuel. That said the more i learn about cat stoves the more intrigued i am. Lots of folks on here are very happy with their cat stoves and they have been doing this much longer than I. Wouldnt mind trying out a woodstock IS (rear exit only so no BK option in my application).

I feel the exact same. The simplicity and durability of the stove is perfect. How often do you have to refill your stove? Do you burn 24/7? I contacted Jotul on Facebook and they responded on a Sunday. I am interested in the cats stoves as well. The BK seems really fussy for needing dry wood. 16-18 % is about three years of drying time for white and red oak. I don't like the idea of having to go three years on stacking. Woodstock says season 2 years and around 20%.

 

[begreen]

I feel the exact same. The simplicity and durability of the stove is perfect. How often do you have to refill your stove? Do you burn 24/7? I contacted Jotul on Facebook and they responded on a Sunday. I am interested in the cats stoves as well. The BK seems really fussy for needing dry wood. 16-18 % is about three years of drying time for white and red oak. I don't like the idea of having to go three years on stacking. Woodstock says season 2 years and around 20%.

Any modern stove is going to want dry wood to perform optimally. This is the same for the Ashford, F55 or Heritage. Top covered oak should dry in 2 yrs. if the stacks are where the sun shines and the wind can blow through them.

 

[AlbergSteve]

I feel the exact same. The simplicity and durability of the stove is perfect. How often do you have to refill your stove? Do you burn 24/7? I contacted Jotul on Facebook and they responded on a Sunday. I am interested in the cats stoves as well. The BK seems really fussy for needing dry wood. 16-18 % is about three years of drying time for white and red oak. I don't like the idea of having to go three years on stacking. Woodstock says season 2 years and around 20%.

To quote from page 21 in Ashford manual...
"Use dry seasoned wood, split and stacked and protected from rain for at least 24 months with a moisture content of 20% or lower. It takes a great deal of energy to evaporate the moisture contained in green wood and that energy will not be heating your house."

And their testing for the Ashford was done with MC between 19-25%.